Lack of Love

Yan Hao went too far that night, causing Zhong Qiran to return to Country M with the hickeys on his neck still visible. He knew that Yan Hao intentionally left them in obvious places, and no matter how hard he tried to cover them, they couldn’t be hidden. So he decided not to bother covering them up.

Fortunately, Country M was a relatively open-minded place, so even though his classmates saw it, they didn’t gossip  much.

Li Qi, being someone who was familiar with the situation, whistled when he saw Zhong Qiran and teased, “Are you two rekindling your old flame?”

“I guess so.”

“Is he trying to mark his territory?”

Zhong Qiran was taken aback. He realized that he had never thought about this question before. “Why would you think that?”

Li Qi replied naturally, “Wasn’t he chasing after you out of jealousy?”

After thinking about it, Zhong Qiran realized that it might be true. Yan Hao’s timing of his visits was always too perfect. It was obvious that he had investigated his whereabouts in advance. But he had never asked about Zhong Qiran’s relationship with Li Qi, not even about the fact that Li Qi had stayed overnight at his place once. Did Yan Hao really trust him that much? Or did he think that as long as Zhong Qiran had a change of heart, everything else didn’t matter?

Li Qi continued to be curious, “Isn’t that the case?”

Zhong Qiran just glanced at him ,Li Qi shrugged and stopped asking. He had known for a long time that he and Zhong Qiran wouldn’t be a thing, and there was nothing to regret. He changed the topic and asked, “With less than a year left, is your graduation thesis ready?”

Assuming they would graduate successfully, if they didn’t plan to continue pursuing a Ph.D., they needed to start preparing their resumes now.

Zhong Qiran glanced at Li Qi, and that was probably what Li Qi really wanted to know. He smiled and joked, “Are you afraid that I’ll snatch your job?”

“I am,” Li Qi responded with a smile, but his tone was very serious. “I’m also afraid that you’ll become my company’s competitor.”

Their industries seemed unrelated on the surface, but the business environment was constantly changing. Market research had to meet the needs of the masses while seizing opportunities to dominate the market. If they targeted the same investment direction as other companies, they would have to find ways to attract manufacturers and customers. The accuracy of market research analysis from the beginning determined success or failure, which was the competition Li Qi was referring to.

Zhong Qiran had never expected that Li Qi would hold him in such high regard, so he said, “You think too highly of me. I was just an employee at a small company before.

Li Qi disagreed, “Humility is a good thing, and you really underestimate yourself. The person I’m interested in is not a basic person.”

Zhong Qiran was indeed accustomed to being humble. It was how he was raised since childhood, so he couldn’t change it easily. He actually admired Li Qi’s confidence and ambition, which were qualities he lacked.

During the trip back to his home country, Yan Hao also expressed his desire for Zhong Qiran to work at his company. And Zhong Qiran was still considering it…

Previously, Zhong Qiran had rejected Yan Hao because he didn’t want to feel like he relied on him to survive. But now the situation was different. Since he had decided to face the issues with the Yan family, he couldn’t avoid it. The fastest and most direct way was to stay by Yan Hao’s side and achieve something. He didn’t necessarily have to prove anything to anyone, but he couldn’t let Yan’s mother look down on him. Otherwise, he couldn’t guarantee that unexpected incidents like this wouldn’t happen again. If Yan Hao hadn’t insisted, they would have missed each other like this for a lifetime.

Since Yan Hao was willing to risk his life to protect him, he could also make some sacrifices.

A month later, Zhong Qiran learned over the phone that Yan Hao had implemented the proposal he had given for a gym trial.

Zhong Qiran was stunned holding the phone. He knew how high the risks were. It was almost an all-or-nothing move. If it didn’t succeed, it would be a complete failure. And it also concerned the face of the Yan family.

The business world was ruthless. Failing once was not shameful, but failing again  would invite ridicule. So many entrepreneurs would rather cut their losses and withdraw their investments than lose face and end up in an irreparable situation.

Zhong Qiran cautiously asked, “Do you really trust me like this? Aren’t you afraid… of losing all the money?”

“In that case, you won’t be able to run away and you will have to sell yourself to pay off the debt.”

Yan Hao’s tone didn’t reveal any emotion, but Zhong Qiran felt that he might be smiling. . Based on their past experiences and his understanding of Yan Hao, he could comprehend the thoughts running through Yan Hao’s mind at that moment.

Not hearing a response from the other end of the phone, Yan Hao thought that he had frightened Zhong Qiran. He reflected on his joke and wondered if he had said something wrong. Then he switched to a serious tone and discussed business matters, saying, “In fact, I have discussed it with the sales and operations departments. They think it’s worth a try. Although the risk is high, it is indeed a good

Yan Hao was not afraid of failure; if he failed, he could just start over. However, some opportunities, once missed, are gone forever.

He naturally said, “We still need an analyst. Don’t you think you should take some responsibility?”

Zhong Qiran paused and understood that Yan Hao wanted to use this method to recruit him to his company and keep him by his side more naturally. “Are you doing this on purpose…?”

Yan Hao didn’t answer the question but said, “When are you coming back? I miss you.”

Zhong Qiran felt his face burning. He felt that ever since Yan Hao had his head injury, something extraordinary had been unlocked. The previously emotionally reserved Yan Hao had never been so explicit in expressing himself.

Perhaps because of this, Zhong Qiran’s previous doubts now had an answer. Yan Hao truly trusted him, which was why he expressed his thoughts candidly and didn’t inquire about his relationship with Li Qi.

That night, they talked on the phone for a long time. Even when there was nothing more to say, they silently listened to each other’s breathing.

Yan Hao was very busy but didn’t rush him to hang up. Zhong Qiran already felt sleepy but didn’t want to bring it up.

Finally, Zhong Qiran couldn’t resist his drowsiness and fell asleep in bed.

Yan Hao waited for a while, confirming that Zhong Qiran wouldn’t speak anymore, and gently said, “Good night.”

This was Zhong Qiran’s third return to China, separated by three months from the last time. With only six months left until graduation, he was truly busy. But no matter how busy he was, he still had to make time to come back. It was because he had promised Yan Hao to take over the project he had proposed. In many ways, this was his true starting point.

As soon as he got off the plane, Yan Hao’s driver picked him up and took him to the company.

They had agreed to have lunch together, but after such a long time apart, they unexpectedly discussed work upon meeting.

Zhong Qiran was initially a little nervous, but he felt slightly relieved after seeing each other. Yan Hao was always serious about work,  However, this was his first time witnessing Yan Hao’s work demeanor, which was completely different from his private side. He couldn’t help stealing a few more glances, and when Yan Hao’s gaze lightly swept over him, he lowered his head, not daring to look anymore.

On that day, Zhong Qiran left work with Yan Hao. They walked to the parking lot, and Yan Hao casually asked, “Are you getting used to it?”

Zhong Qiran honestly replied, “Still adapting. After all, I haven’t been working for some time…”

He chatted with Yan Hao absentmindedly, and their intimacy after meeting was not like it was on the phone. He reached the passenger seat and was about to open the car door when Yan Hao’s hand suddenly reached out from behind, propping on the car door, preventing him from opening it. In that moment, the nervousness that Zhong Qiran had hidden in his heart surged up again.

“Are you afraid of me?”

Yan Hao’s voice was very deep, although his body didn’t touch him, Zhong Qiran felt like he was surrounded by his aura.

“Is it because of what I did to you last time?”

Zhong Qiran’s face reddened again, not only because of Yan Hao’s words but also because they were still in public, in such an ambiguous position. He didn’t dare to turn his head but was afraid that Yan Hao would say something even more embarrassing. He pushed Yan Hao’s hand slightly and whispered, “Let’s talk about it when we get home, okay?”

Yan Hao persistently asked, “Can’t we talk about it now?”

“There are too many people watching.”

“You belong to me. Is there anything that can’t be known?”

Upon hearing these words, something stirred in Zhong Qiran’s heart, and he suddenly turned his head to look at Yan Hao.

Yan Hao had been waiting for that moment. He slightly tilted his head, found the right angle, and lowered his head to kiss Zhong Qiran’s lips. He had waited for three months and couldn’t suppress the longing in his heart any longer.